Heartier than normal banana bread, this Banana Oat Bread makes the perfect breakfast bread! Just sweet enough with great texture, this bread is the best way to start the day.
Serve a slice of this Banana Oat Bread up with some Egg Muffins and a Smoothie Bowl for a delicious and healthy breakfast!
For some reason, I have a hard time picking one banana bread recipe as a favorite and just sticking to it.
Maybe it’s because I have been blogging for so long, and it has just become habit to keep trying new things.
Or maybe it’s because there is not one banana bread recipe that is perfect for every circumstance.
You need a good, traditional Banana Bread. And how about Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips for when you are craving something that will really stand out. You also need Brownie Mix Banana Bread that tastes more like dessert than a bread. And a recipe that makes the perfect banana bread for an after school snack, like this Peanut Butter and Jelly Banana Bread. That’s just the tip of the iceberg – there really is a reason for banana bread under every circumstance.
I’d call this Banana Oat Bread the perfect breakfast banana bread. The oats give it a heartier texture that I think makes it perfect for breakfast. It’s a recipe that will stick with you for a bit and give you the energy to make it through your morning.
And while it is sweet, it’s not overly sweet. Let’s also not forget to mention the amount of bananas in this bread, as well. All those bananas make a perfectly moist banana bread.
My kids all loved this banana bread version, and I’m sure I ended up eating my weight in it over the last week!
Ingredients
- Brown Sugar: I like the deeper flavor that the brown sugar brings. I use light brown sugar.
- Oil: I use vegetable oil, but feel free to sub in another neutral oil. You could also use melted butter.
- Milk: I use 2% milk.
- Eggs: I always use large eggs.
- Bananas: This recipe uses 4-5 very ripe bananas. You need 2 cups of mashed bananas, which is about 460 grams.
- Flour: I have only used all-purpose flour, but feel free to experiment with other flours of your choice.
- Oats: I use old fashioned oats.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: I like to use the combination of baking powder and baking soda in this recipe to give this bread some extra lift, since the oats make it more dense. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of baking powder, which I’ve never had an issue with, but some people say that it made their bread bitter. Make sure you are using double acting baking powder. And again – feel free to experiment with less.
- Salt: The salt balances the flavors.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: I love the warmth of both of these spices. You can always use one or the other, or substitute 3/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to change it up.
How to Make Banana Oat Bread
WET INGREDIENTS: In one bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, milk, and eggs. Once combined, stir in the mashed bananas.
DRY INGREDIENTS: In another bowl, mix the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
COMBINE: Combine both the wet and the dry ingredients and mix everything together just until it is combined.
BAKE: Transfer the batter to a prepared loaf pan and transfer to the oven until the loaf is baked through.
Tips for the perfect banana bread
- Make sure those bananas are ripe! I like to wait until they are almost all the way black on the peel, ensuring that bananas are super sweet.
- Make sure you are using a true 9×5-inch loaf pan. Many loaf pans are just smaller than this, but you need the full 9×5-inch pan. If you are not sure if your pan is large enough, measure out 8 cups of water and add it to the pan. It should fit the full 8 cups. If in doubt, though, use 2 pans, or use one pan and make the remaining batter into muffins.
- Don’t mix the batter any more than you have to. The less you mix, the more tender your bread will be.
- Keep an eye on it as it is baking, as you’ll want to cover it with foil once it starts to brown. If you don’t cover it, by the time the loaf is finished baking, the edges will be quite dark.
- All ovens cook differently, so start checking your bread around 45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will also be fairly firm and not jiggly at all.
More recipes that use those overripe bananas
Banana Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Banana Split Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Banana Bran Muffins
Frosted Banana Cake
Banana Brownies with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting
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Banana Oat Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 4-5 medium bananas
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and then spray that with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, vegetable oil, milk and eggs. Mix until combined. Stir in the bananas.
- In another bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredient to the wet ingredients all at once and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. You will probably need to cover the top with foil about halfway through the baking time to avoid over-browning the loaf.
- Let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
Kentucky Parkis says
I love this recipe, I used it with some changes. Instead of oil I used ghee, instead of milk I used mango yogurt. Instead of all the sugar I used 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Instead of the spices I used ginger and a pinch of black pepper. Instead of wheat flour I used Tapioca flour and the ratio was 2 to 1 Oats to Tapioca. I used a teaspoon of baking soda and no baking powder. It was a flexible recipe I will definitely use again.
Ralph Clark says
you must surely realize that with so many fundamental changes it is no longer “this” recipe. Its hardly even similar.
Liz DeVries says
I just tasted my loaf – made an hour ago – love it! And will be sharing it. I didn’t find a
baking powder taste to it – loved the texture using the large oats.
Katie says
Just made this recipe. Tasted so much like baking powder and is really not good. I think the baking powder amount has got to be wrong!
Amanda says
This is in the oven baking right now. It smells fantastic. Per other reviews, I decreased sugar, baking powder, added 1/2C applesauce bc I was low on banana, used coconut oil, added just a few chia seeds, added walnuts and dried fruit. I also split it into 2 loaf pans. Ideally they would have been smaller, but we have only 9x5s. Can’t wait to have it for b’fast this week!
KT says
Made this recipe and it waa awesome. I followed recipe exact and it worked well. It made the 9×5 pan as well as 10 muffins. Added choc chips to muffins, wishing I would have added to the bread. It cooked well in 55 mins. Taste is perfect and crumb is awesome. This is a keeper of a recipe and will def make again!!! Thanks for sharing.
Kris says
Consistently moist! Everyone loves this. I add chocolate chips to one of the mini loafs.
T says
My boyfriend almost curled over and died of happiness when he saw I was making this. I did end up cooking for almost 2 hrs though. Compared to regular banana bread, I think it takes longer because this one has oats. I recommend checking it with a toothpick after 1 hr and if the bread is still wet, cook in 20 minute intervals until the toothpick comes out dry. I also added chocolate chips to the top before putting in the oven!
Nine says
Uh you didn’t say how much vegetable oil to use… maybe proofread your recipe better or update your ingredients
Deborah says
Hi – the amount is listed in the recipe card. It is 1/2 cup. 🙂
Pauline Paton says
Wow. Be generous with the spices and bananas. Fabulous.
Marc Ellis says
My kitchenette in my apartment is quite small so I don’t bake often due to the lack of counter top space however had a bunch of bananas that were past their prime so thought I’d put them to use as opposed to tossing them in the compost and tried your recipe. I had everything on hand except for the plain oats though I did have some Quaker single portioned packets of brown sugar and cinnamon instant oatmeal so I tossed in two portions of that instead
baked it in my toaster oven and it came out great and was delicious! I impressed myself and might have to make a more concerted effort to make the most out of that kitchenette and try out some other recipes!
Marta says
It was ok. I added a little more banana and didn’t cover in the oven based on the comments but other than that followed the recipe. My kids liked it and that’s all that really matters lol
Shelley says
This has turned out to be the best banana bread I’ve ever made so happy with. I followed it to a T. Thank you
Sharon says
I added mixed fruits, rum, it was the best I have had so far. Shared it with my cousin and as I write he is making another one.
Shana Kirby says
Should have read comments first used 2 loaf pans instead if 1. Followed the recipe as written and the batter is overflowing and making a huge mess in the oven.
Kevin says
I kept wondering about the volume of ingredients and the pan size. That and the amount of ingredients in a 9×5 loaf pan? It’s in the oven now and overflowing a bit. I used a scale and and only omitted two ingredients, the cinnamon and nutmeg, If the tastes and texture are good I’d have to explore different pan options.
Saranea says
I added coconut flakes and chia seeds to this recipe. Instead of a 1/2 cup of whole milk, i used a mix of unsweetened coconut milk and whole milk. I also oiled my tin with extra virgin coconut oil! The cake was divine. I used rolled oats too! Such perfect texture and consistency. Was fabulous!